Some of the places:
Mudgee
Mudgee
- Isabella's Tratoria Italian Restaurant - Mudgee - This restaurant was recommended by the nearby Visitor Centre and it was worth going. There's a limited number of Italian options in town, but Isabella's makes up for this with really good food and friendly service. All our courses were tasty. As a bonus its BYO - and its just a short walk aqrtound the corner to the nearby bottle shop!
- Mudgee Brewing Company - Mudgee - This is a really pleasant place to drop in for a coffee and snack but it also has the added bonus of being a brewery so it has beer tasting as well - and who wouldn't like this!
- Butcher Shop Cafe - Mudgee - This is a better than usual cafe on the main street of Mudgee. Its a great place to go for a quality and hearty breakfast. Probably the top eatery in town for those hungry mornings.
- Hunter Valley Visitor Centre Cafe - Pokolbin - Small place that seems to predominantly trade on coffee. The food seems overpriced for a Visitor Centre cafe.
- The Brokenback Bar - Pokolbin - Cosy and more informal compared to its upmarket neighbour The Mill. You can order a meal from the kitchen here or alternatively order your choice of meat and then cook your own. The prepared meals are great and the cuts of meat to cook are also excellent - its a tough choice. If you get in early on a cool evening its wonderful to sit in front of its roaring fireplace and dine casually.
- Oishii - Pokolbin - Very nice Japanese/Thai restaurant. We started with gyoza's then followed with mains of green curry chicken, massaman beef and prawn tamarind and rice. The serving sizes were decent and the service was good. The restaurant has a pleasant decor and it's well worth visiting.
- Elizabeths @ McWilliams Mt Pleasant - Pokolbin - This is a nice place for a good but casual lunch in the Hunter Vally. Its not a huge eatery, but there's an indoor and outdoor area. On a fine day its a great place to soak up some sunlight. There's some interesting dishes available for lunch - maybe start with some bruscetta then try the fettuccine or the duck. Afterwards its a good place to taste some good wines in one of Australia's iconic wineries.
- Cafe on Cooper - Cessnock - Pleasant place, good service and decent servings.
- Klewz Cafe - Cessnock - The food was decent whilst not exceptional but it did take a while to arrive. Service was fine. If eating indoors its a cosy room at the back.
- Sabor in the Hunter Dessert Bar - Lovedale - Tasty little addition to the delicacies offered in the Hunter. A bit out of the way but worth looking for it! You can have a calorie hit there or take it away. Its a bit like Lindt Cafe or Max Brenners - but in the Hunter. Also has a good selection of Turkish delights and chocolates - and decent coffee too. Seems quite popular.
- The Cooperage - Hunter Valley - This is a b & B - but a good one. The place only has around 4 or 5 couples a night and the breakfasts are amazing. We started with lovely home made bircher muesli, yoghurt and fresh fruit. This was followed by a delicious cooked breakfast of bacon, eggs, spinach, and toast. The next day we started with the same and it was followed by the lightest, fluffiest pancaked we'd ever had with syrup and butterscotch butter as a side. Yummo! Would go there just to eat - but the rooms were lovely too and its got its own cinema!
- King Bill IV - Maitland - This place has fast become the most popular and happening joint inb Maitland. It's a big place that stretches back quite a long way. They have great food with plenty of choices and it comes in big servings as well. Drinks are the usual wide range you'd expect. They also have liove music - including some acts that travel from Sydney. Greta place that's lots of fun and you'll leave very satisfied!
- The Plough Inn Hotel - Bulladelah - A nice and often less crowded place to stop for lunch instead of some of the nearby cafes in Bulladelah. Good solid pub food in good quantities and at quite low prices.
- Bar Copa - Copacabana Beach - Just off the shores of beautiful Copacabana beach is this little gem where you can enjoy your coffee or meal while hearing the waves smash and if you're lucky like we were, catch a glimpse of some whales. We stopped for a coffee after a long walk on the beach. They use Byron Bay coffee here and we quite liked it. We also tried a vegan fig and walnut slice and it was delicious. They are also open for lunch.
- Fresko Fruit - Kinkumber Shopping Village - On the outside this place looks like a normal fruit shop but there is a fantastic cafe set up at the back with a few tables where you can sit in and enjoy a drink or snack. The coffee is organic and very smooth. There is an array of cakes and sweets on offer but also some delicious deli items too. We tried one of the home made Greek walnut biscuits with our coffees and we loved them. We picked up some olives and cheese on the way out too.
